Hopetel: Transitional High-rise Housing

As a result of the recent deteriorating economy and rising unemployment, homelessness is among the most pressing issues faced by US cities. Following the housing market crash, “tent cities” (makeshift shelters set up by people who have lost their homes) have been popping up all over the country. It is a time where the poverty rate is at a record high, and in many cities unemployment is in double-digits.

This project proposes a transient solution to accommodate growing numbers of citizens who have lost their houses to foreclosure. The main idea is to create an environment that will provide a stable ground during the search for a steady income and a permanent home.

The spatial organization of the project promotes social interactions between the residents and strengthens their feeling of safety and security in their current situation. The project design is based on a permanent steel structure, security skin, open floor plans, and compact dwelling units (includes bed, working desk, and storage)that can be installed on site according to changing demand. Shared amenities, such as laundry, storage, showers, restroom, and kitchen facilities are distributed along various levels. Differentiated from sprawling “tent cities”, the Hopetel is centered on a minimum footprint vertical density housing solution, which can be adopted in city centers with limited development space. Furthermore, this proposal highlights the foreclosure homeless problem by presenting a transparent building that encourages communication with the surrounding and creates public consciousness.